My '56 swing-arm has date of reg as 1983 'cos that's when I got it re-registered, with the reg no it came with, never having had any of the proper reg docs.That 1983 date is th eonly one that shows on the current registration docs but the DVLA do have 1956 as the build date inside the rest of the computer records and I don't have any probs with tax or MOT exemption.So....have they got 1995 as the date of registration or the build date??(If you need official authentication with the factory build details you'll need to follow the procedures to get a dating certificate from either the Vintage Club or the Ariel Club; if you just want to check for your own information there are date code details for engine and frame numbers - and gearboxes - on the Drags web site)

The Club has copies of the factory Despatch Books from 1927 to 1965 but the 1926 book is missing, as is the first book covering Leaders. For the appropriate sum, as mentioned on the website or in Cheval, the Archivist will provide a Dating Certificate which includes the factory Despatch Book data. The data will tell you which dealer the bike went to, engine and frame numbers, sometimes gearbox number, tyre details, magneto and carb details, any extras (such as "Pillion seat and footrests, speedo 100mph) and date of despatch. It will also give you a "Tab" number. The Tab number is the number by which the Works knew the bike and might be best considered as the detailed Order for the bike. For some particularly non-standard machines we sometimes get "see Tab for details" when there wasn't room in the column in the Despatch Book. I am not aware of any Tab details which have survived but I would love to be proved wrong.

The 1926 book is missing! Strange as this is also the year val page new models were sold! And he also designed the leader. Sounds like val himself stole them maybe as a keep sake? I'm not saying Mr page was a theif I have no idea about that, but it does make you think that's for sure.

The fact that the two missing books are from Val Page's first year at Ariel and the first year of the Leader production led Ralph Hawkins to wonder whether they were indeed in Val's possession. He contacted Val's family to ask the question, Val himself having passed away by this time. The Page family confirmed that there was no sign of either of the books amongst Val's effects.

The rest of the Despatch Books ended up in the Science Museum following a spell with the Metropolitan Police. My own theory (and we know how often my theories prove to be wrong) is that someone took these books as examples before the rest went to the Metropolitan Police. Perhaps they may surface one day but I wonder if they are sitting unknown in some collection relating to Birmingham's industrial past.

It maybe just a strange coincidence from the missing books to val page and another factor involved. There's a chance at the missing books could of Been misplaced at one of there's previous homes. There's a chance they are still around unaware they have them. Be nice to find them and have the full set back together with club where they should be.